Diffused layer transducers



Aug. 16, 1966 w. G. PFANN DIFFUSED LAYER TRANsDUcERs v Original Filed Jan. 4, 1961 2 Sheets-Sheet l FIG.

Illini lill /Nl/E/vrop By W GPI-'ANN A r TURA/E V Aug. 16, 1966 w. G. PFANN DIFFUSED LAYER TRANSDUCERS Original Filed Jan. 4, 1961 2 Sheets-Shea?I 2 SOUND WAVES /Nl/E/vron W. G. PFANN @y ATTORNEY United States Patent C) 5 Claims. (Cl. 73-141) This application is a division yof application Serial No. 80,672 filed January 4, 1961 by William G. Pfann.

This invention relates to piezoresistive strain gages. Further, it represents a new technique in gage manufacture resulting in an improved gage construction affording significant .advantages over known gage constructions.

The strain gage of this invention'is a c-omposite semiconductor member having a base layer and a thin layer of prescribed configuration having a relatively low resistance formed into the base layer by diffusion. y

The base layer is essentially a carrier for the diffused layer which, when constructed according to the teachings of this invention, becomes the active piezoresistive arm of the gage. Electrical contacts are disposed, at appropriate points of the diffused layer to measure the piezoresistive change induced by the strain to be measured. The base layer is preferably thin so that when attached to a member in which strains are to be measured, these strains are effectively transferred to the thin diffused layer. The diffused layer is formed in the desired position or configuration in the base layer by conventiona-l masking techniques and is preferably less than one-quarter the thickness of the base layer. To render the base layer essentially electrically insulating so that the predominant variation in current is the piezoresistive effect measured across the diffused layer, the diffused layer should preferably have a conductivity at least ten times that of the base layer.

Typical semiconductors used for strain gages are extremely brittle at or near room temperature. Even if carefully prepared, machined and handled, they nevertheless can be strained elastically only about 1 or 2 percent before fracture occurs. This preparation and treatment requires removal of lstress-raising micro-cracks inevitably introduced through mechanical shaping by extensive etching of the semiconductor. Such etching procedures are incompatible with the close control of dimensions required in the manufacture of practical semiconductor strain gages. However, in the c-omposite piezoresistive strain gage of this invention, the dimensions of the base layer are not critical since the active piezoresistive arm is composed only of the layer diffused into the base. Accordingly, in this case, extensive etching of the base layer is tolerable. The active diffused area can then be produced in the surface of the semiconductor crystal without introducing deleterious strain-raising micro-cracks. Further, the diffusion technique is superior to the conventional mechanical machining since it can be done more cheaply and accurately. These considerations are especially significant in making complex gage configurations such as lthose described in copending application Serial No. 73,313 led December 2, 1960, now Patent No. 3,186,217, some of which are hereinafter described.

Another advantage of the composite structure of this invention lies in the greater reproducibility of strain and the reliable sensitivity to transverse strains as compared with conventional semiconductor gages in the shape of rods. In conventional gage constructions end effects, and especially the uncertain sensitivity to strains transverse to the rod axis provide poor reproducibility and sensitivity.

The composite structure, wherein the active diffused region is purposely spaced some distance from the edges of a relatively large fiat surface, is essentially free of end effects and exhibits full transverse sensitivity.

It has recently been found that piezoresistive compositions of high electrical conductivity, N103 ohmrlcml, are rather insensitive to temperature changes, and hence favored. Fabrication of these compositions into devices having impedances ohms, which is required for use with available instruments, requires that they be very small in cross-section. The diffusion gages of this invention 'can be much more easily fabricated in such dimensions than can conventional gages which require mechanical or chemical shaping techniques.

Various other advantages as wel-l as the basic character ofy the invention will become more apparent from an examination of the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is .a fron-t elevation of the diffused gage structure according to its simplest aspects;

FIG. 2 is a plan view of FIG. l;

FIG. 3 is 'a front elevation partly in section of a modified gage construction together with a schematic representation of related circuitry;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a preferred diffused construction requiring a more complex gage geometry and to which this invention is aptly suited;

FIG. 5 is a front elevation in section of a p-n junction strain gage including an appropriate circuit in schematic diagram;

FIG. 6 is a plan View of a preferred embodiment of this invention utilizing a junction transducer; and

FIG. 7 is a front view of the device of FIG. 6.

FIG. 1 shows a simple diffused gage construction consisting basically of base layer 10 and diffused layer 11. The thickness of the diffused layer in this figure and those following is exaggerated for clarity. Contacts 12 and 13 and leads 14 and 15 are provided at opposite ends of the diffused layer to measure the piezoresistive variations through this layer. These contacts are conventional alloy contacts as are well known in the art. The base layer 10 is affixed to the number 16 in which strains are to be measured by glue 17 or other appropriate means.

A preferred embodiment for the diffusion layer of FIG. lvis to have the layer of p-type silicon, the body of n-type silicon, and the direction of the layer (direction of current ow) [111]. An advantage of this embodirnent is that [111] is a sensitive piezoresistance direction for p-type silicon (the layer material) but is.

insensitive for n-type silicon, the body'material; Therefore, any bias current that leaks into the body from the (-1-) terminal of the layer, and flows generally in the [111] direction in the body to the terminal of the layer does not adversely affect the resistance change in the layer itself under strain.

An alternate embodiment using this principle is to have a layer of n-silicon, current in the [100] direction, and the body of p-silicon.

On the other hand, for a material like germanium, for which nand p-type materials have large and oppoo site-in-sign values of T44, the piezoresistive changes in the leakage current in the body would tend to cancel those in the layer. Here the effect of leakage current is more harmful. Accordingly, the critical resistance ratio of for the body to 1 for the diffused layer should be adhered to in these cases.

FIG. 2 shows the plan view of FIG. 1 and reference numerals refer to the same elements as in FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 shows a modified gage construction utilizing two active piezoresistive arms connected in contiguous arms of a Wheatstone bridge. This gage is adapted to measure bending or flexing strains appearing in the gage. The base layer 31 is affixed to a static member 32 and subjected to load L. The load produces a tensile strain on the upper surface of the base layer which is measured by diffused l piezoresistive layer 33. The compressive strain appearing along the lower face of base layer 31 is detected by diffused piezoresistive layer 34. Contacts 35, 36, 37 and 38 are provided and connected into the bridge circuit as shown. Standard resistors 39, 40, galvanometer 41 and current source 42 are included. As will be hereinafter more fully set forth, the piezoresistive response for the diffused layers 33 and 34 are opposite in sign when the semiconductor is'properly chosen according to the crystallographic orientation of the base layer. Accordingly, these opposite current variations' are added by the bridge circuit when connected as shown and the overall response of the gage is twice that obtained with one active piezoresistive arm. Furthermore, the opposite current variations produced in this gage construction allow for inherent compensation of the gage against ambient factors which tend to unbalance or interfere with ordinary gage readings such as thermal changes, changes in hydrostatic pressures and strains generated by differential thermal expansion between the base layer and the support or loading members.

FIG. 4 shows a preferred form of this invention which is a full bridge piezoresistive strain gage. In this modification four active arms 50, 51, 52 and 53 are provided in the form of diffused layers formed in the base layer 54. Alloy contacts 55, 56, 57 and 58 are provided at each corner and connected with the leads as four arms of a Wheatstone bridge, including galvanometer 59 and current source 60. The base layer 54 is glued or otherwise affixed to the member 61 in which strains are to be measured. With the proper choice of crystallographic orientations of the diffused layer into the semiconductor crystal base layer 54 opposing arms of the bridge will register a piezoresistive effect due to a unidirectional strain dictated by a transverse piezoresistive constant for one set and a longitudinal coefficient for the other set. Judicious choice, of these coefficients will provide resistance changes in adjacent arms to be opposite in sign. This allows the use of a full bridge and provides a number of inherent advantages such as compensation against resistance variations induced by thermal changes, and unbalances ordinarily appearing due to variations in hydrostatic pressure and differential thermal expansion between the gage material and the member to which the gage is affixed. Typical orientations which provide opposite piezoresistive coefficients in adjacent arms for a unidirectional strain are: plane of base member (001), directions of arms [010] and [100] for n-type silicon in the diffused layers; or plane of base member (001), directions of arms: [110] and [ITO] for n-type germanium, or p-type germanium or silicon in the diffused layers. This gage configuration is fully detailed in my copending application, Serial No. 73,313, led December 2, 1960, now Patent No. 3,186,217.

In each of these embodiments various crystallographic orientations may be chosen for the diffused active arm depending upon the material of the base and the application for which the gage is intended. The following table contains 'several useful orientations of various semiconductor materials.

TABLE 1 Example Material Plane of Gage Direction of Arm 1 111-silicon 001 10o or 010 2 do 11o 001 or 11o s nor p- 10o 110 or 110 German- 1l11'I1.

do 111 110 or 11E do 11E 111 or 1in do 11o 111 or 11E p-snicon 111 11o or 115 8 do 11o 111 or 115 9 do 10o 11o or 110 11E 111 or 11o 110 or 11o 115 111 or 110 f n 111 or 11o 10o 110 or lio Any of these orientations are appropriate for the active arms of FIGS. 1 4. The gage of FIG. 4 utilizes the same semiconductor material for all four arms. In this case two opposite arms are in the first direction given and the remaining pair assume the alternative direction given. In each of these examples the piezoresistive coficients of the alternative pairs of directions are opposite in sign.

In each of the devices of FIGS. 1-4 care must be taken to insure that the piezoresistive effect measured is primarily in the diffused layers and not to be confused with variations in the base layer which may in fact exhibit a piezoresistive effect opposite to that of the layer such that the responses cancel. As previously set forth, if the relative resistances of the base layer and the diffused layers conform to the ratio given, 10:1, then such irregularities will be minimized. However, it may in some cases be impractical if not impossible to achieve this limit. A preferred remedy in these cases is to back bias the junction such that the available path of effective current flow between the two contacts on the diffused layer measuring the piezoresistive change is through the diffused layer as desired.

A further preferred embodiment of this invention rutilizes a particular character of diffused layers for measuring or detecting stress. These devices are based upon the ability of p-n junctions to exhibit variations in junction cur-rent responsive to strain. Thus, according to this embodiment the layer diffused into Ithe base member forms a p-n junction at the interface. Tension or compression -applied to :the junction results in variations in junction current which are detected by appropriate sensing means.

A particular stress transducer operating according to a more complex application of this principle is shown in FIG. 5. The base member 70 is suspended in support 71. This base member, here shown as n-type, may be either por n-type semiconductor as desired. Diffused into Ithe upper and lower faces of member 70 are layers of opposite conductivity type (herev p-type) thus forming p-n j-unctions adjacent the upper and lower faces. The

junctions are connected as adjacent farms of a Wheat-` stone bridge including biasing source 72 and galvanometer 73, as shown, such that the bridge records .the difference between the voltage changes in each active farm. The other arms of the bridge are passive and are constituted either by p-n junctions having essentially the characteristics of .those of the lactive bridge arms `diffused into bar 70, or by ordinary resistors. This use of similar p-n junctions in each larm renders the overall bridge insensitive to deviations and unbal-ances ordinarily produced by influences such as thermal effects on resistance, Joule heating effects, hydrostatic pressure variations-i.e., any ambient influence which affects each arm in the same manner and degree.

Referring again to FIG. 5, as the gage is subjected to =load L the bar 70 is placed under compression along its lower face Iand tension along its upper face. Since the resistance response of the junction in compression .is opposite of that in tension the voltage variations exhibited by the two active arms of the gage are opposite land the overall difference recorded by galvanometer '73.- Thus the combined response of two diffused lp-n junctions to strains exerted in a medium are advantageously employed as a sensitive and reliable stress or strain transducer. Device designs of this character can be applied to various uses. For instance a diffused p-n stress gage can be utilized as a sound detector or microphone by simply having the load produced by s-ound Waves effectively translated to the diff-used junction. To this end the diffused junction or combination of junctions may be formed directly in a thin diaphragm member adapted for sound pickup.

A typical microphone havingthis desired construction is shown in FIG. 6. The diaphragm 80, composed of a semiconductor material having a given conductivity ty-pe, here p-type, has a -layer 81 of the opposite conductivity type, here n-type, diffused into its cent-ral area. Electrodes 82 and 83 are conveniently fixed to each conductivity region. The preferred geometry of this embodiment can be ,appreciated from FIG. 7 which is an elevational view of FIG. 6. The reference numerals denote the ysame elements as those in FIG. 6. The sound waves, capable of displacing the thin region ofthe diffused layer 81, are incident on the ldevice as shown. To facilitate proper sensitivity the ratio of a, the radius of the diffused layer in FIG. 6, to t, the thickness lof the diffused region (FIG. 7) should be greater th-an 50 and more desirably greater than 200. Y

The manner of obtaining the diffused layer is not material to the effective operation of these devices. Accordingly, all the diffused layers described herein may be prepared by any of the many well known procedures, for instance by mesa etch or mask `diffusion technique. The depth of the diffused layer is preferably less than two mils. One specific procedure for preparing the particular device fabricated of n-silicon with a diffused layer of psilicon as described hereinbefore is as follows:

A slice of n-type silicon approximately 0.002 in. thick land 1A X 1A in area is prepared and its upper surface coated with la suspension of boric oxide in methyl cellosolve, or water. After drying, the body is heated in air to about 1200 C. for about 16 hours, producing a p-ty-pe layer of the order of 0.001 in. thick in the coated surface. The body is then masked with wax in a strip configuration 0.20 in. wide and 0.25 in. long. `The unmasked portion of the p-type layer is then etched off with an etching solution consisting of 19 parts 70% HNO3 plus 5 parts 48% HF by volume. Gold contacts are then evaporated on the ends of the strip through a mask. The body is heated until the contacts fuse to the silicon. Wire connections lare soldered to the gold alloy contacts. The finished device can then be bonded to the test member using a suitable adhesive such as Allen PBX cement.

In some instances it is convenient to diffuse a piezoresistive layer directly into the member being tested. In this instance the test member should have essentially the same characteristics as those described for the base layer. Where a base layer is used layer thicknesses of less than one millimeter are appropriate. Greater thicknesses introduce difficulties in effectively transferring the strain from the strained member to the base layer.

What is claimed is:

1. A diffused layer strain gage comprising a base layer -of a semiconductor material of a given conductivity type, at least two diffused layers formed in essentially opposing surfaces of said base layer and having Ia conductivity type which is opposite to that of the base layer thus forming p-n junctions and electrical bias means including a galvanometer and standard resistors for connecting the said junctions as adjacent arms of a Wheatstone bridge.

2. The gage of claim 1 wherein the Istandard resistors are p-n junctions of essentially the same resistive values las the junctions formed in the said base layer.

3. A microphone comprising ya thin essentially circular semiconductor base layer having -a given conductivity type and capable of being deformed by acoustic waves and a diffused layer having a conductivity type opposite to that of the said base layer formed in at least one major face Iof the base layer such that .the deformations of the base layer act on the junction between the base layer and the diffused layer and electrical leads attached to each of said layers.

4. The microphone of claim 3 wherein the ratio of the thickness of the base layer to the radius of the thin base layer section is greater than 200.

5. An electromechanical transducer comprising a semiconductor body having a diffused region of one conductivity type and an adjacent region of opposite conductivity type thus forming a p-n junction, bias means for imparting an electrical bias to said p-n junction, means for applying a directional stress to said semiconductor body such that a directional strain is produced across the `said p-n junction, and means for measuring electrical resistance variations across said p-n junction in response to the application of said directional stress.

References Citedby the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,929,885 5 1953 Mueller. 3,049,685 8/ 1962 Wright. 3,065,636 1l/1962 Pfann.

RICHARD C. QUEISSER, Primary Examiner. CHARLES A. RUEHL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A DIFFUSED LAYER STRAIN GAGE COMPRISING A BASE LAYER OF A SEMICONDUCTOR MATEIRAL OF A GIVEN CONDUCTIVITY TYPE AT LEAST TWO DIFFUSED LAYERS FORMED IN ESSENTIALLY OPPOSING SURFACES OF SAID BASE LAYER AND HAVING A CONDUCTIVITY TYPE WHICH IS OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE BASE LAYER THUS FORMING P-N JUNCTIONS AND ELECTRICAL BIAS MEANS INCLUDING A GALVANOMETER AND STANDARD RESISTORS FOR CONNECTING THE SAID JUNCTIONS AS ADJACENT ARMS OF A WHEATSTONE BRIDGE. 